Soochow, Mar. 26.
Recently my duties carried me in to the territory around Quinsan and Taichang. The first "thing to attract attention was the progress that has been made toward the completion of the new roads from Soochow and Shanghai, 'The road started by the Nineteenth Route Army and partially built, but which was given up when hostilities ceased, is now' being. widened and new bridges put in. They have started this work near Soochow and are working along the Tine s far as Quinsan. This is providing work for a number of unemployed The section between Quinsan and Taichang has not been started yet, but the road from Shanghai via Taichang to Dzang Zak Is nearing completion.
This latter mentioned road appears to be well built. The bridges are made of good material and they ave been built with permanency in mind. One is glad to see that so much care is going into the road construction. The report Is out that this road can. be opened about the latter part of April, The section from Dzang Zak Wil so be ready at about the same When Wangching, a village beyond Taichang. was reached T learned that the country people had joined ina Prolect to deepen one of the canals Yeading from the Yangtze, This was not to come direct to Waneching but a village close by. This was a ce-operative scheme and was to be nearly four miles long. The canal was being deepend toa depth of four and a half feet deeper.
Crops are not promising as the winter has been too dry. and the: beans have been hardest hit. The last Murry of sow and freeze did much harm to peach trees amd other Bloome that had been teased forth by the balmy days. The farmers though are doxeedly working away and seeking to make the most of a hard situation, Peiping, Mar. 29, A 21 days' fast has won a Chinese monk from Jehol @ pledge of $6,000 by two local military leaders, according to reports from Chinese sources.
Esrly this month a man, about 70 years old, arrived here from Jehol. He said he was the abbot of the Shan Ling Buddhist "Temple and that ne had come to raise money for Fepalrs to the temple The monk frst visited the Pal Yun Kwan Monastery and paid his homage before the presiding divinity of that establishment. 'Then he shook cylinder containing sticks on which are inscribed Chinese characters. "A. stick was thrown out, which contained inscriptions to the effect that if the monk' wanted to raise money must confine his attention to the southern part of the city.
He shook the cylinder again and stick that came out again had a reference to the south. The process was repeated and for the third time the character "south" appeared on the stick that was shaken out of the Next day the monk went to Nanyuan and sat down in the centre of the flying field. Those in charge of the aerodrome tried to drive. him away but he refused, saying that he would not leave nor would he take anything until he had secured suMclent funds to repair his temple in Jeol, For three weeks he fasted, of General Wang Shu-chang, Garris Commandant of the Peiping and lent sin area, and General Pao Yur Un. a member of the Miltary Council, who vi Nanyuan, promised him' to rals sum of $6,000. for his temple Asked him to end his fast The monk agreed but so weak had become that he had to be carried by motor ear to an Inn nearby. He now reported to be making satista= tory progress,—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.